Dayak Versus....?

Oni wat otto Dayak wat itih bih?

It's been some time since I posted something but I've been busy thinking, reading, and recollecting my thoughts. So for this post I'd like to share with you all a story of my first hand experience of being at the opposing end of Dayak fury. Hahaha, yes it's true and it really pisses me off.

One day, I was on a company task to do some reconnaissance at an area somewhere along the Baram river. So for people who are wondering if there were any crocodiles in the Baram, there's a few but there's a lot more where they came from along it's other tributaries (do Google Earth it). Practically 30 to 40 of them lying together sun-bathing along the riverbanks. What's the plural for crocodiles? Do you call them a pack of crocodiles? Or a group of crocodiles? Well, it doesn't matter coz at the time there was a 'school' of them. Why did I say a 'school' of crocodiles? Imagine all the students in SMK Bau put together in line for assembly..that's how many they were!

So here I was in the middle of the Baram wetlands and there's no road, no civilization (except for a few logging camps), and miles and miles of dense jungle. I'm in it with 2 colleagues slashing our way through weeds and God knows what else all for the sake of trying to determine the area's suitability for agricultural development. Honestly, we were not walking over any real soil surface. Our feet were most of the time in knee deep water and every step you take, incites some fear of snakebites or croc-bites. I mean, the crocodiles in the area were probably having this conversation;

Croc 1, "Hey man, what's for lunch?"

Croc 2, "Wait a sec..."

     (Croc 2 then sinks into the water...)

Croc 2, "There's a Bidayuh, a Melanau and  an Iban walking in the swamp a mile from here!"

Croc 1. "Whoah! Great bro! I never tasted Bidayuh before!"

Croc 2, "Well, I never tasted Melanau...and I think this one is halal!"

School of Crocs, "Huuuraaaah!!!!"

So anyway, you can imagine what it might have felt like if you were in my boots. This gigantic plot of land has been issued by our kind state government as an area destined for oil palm development. For those who are unfamiliar with what I mean, here's a diagram for it:

Now I personally was at awe to find that, if you go to any Land & Survey Department office in Bintulu (BDA building Second Floor) or Miri (Wisma PELITA sixth floor) for example, you'll notice that giant plots of individual land parcels have been demarcated in its mapping system. I define it as 'giant areas' coz there plots go anywhere between 4,000 to 20,000 hectares (not acres!). These areas usually follow the aforementioned development progress, especially if the area was demarcated within the last 30 years. 

But please, before anyone starts pointing fingers saying that I'm some sort of NGO with a Mat Sabu syndrome (i.e. make dumb statement, get famous quick); I am making it clear that I am simply writing about the process of  how non-populated land areas in the state is COMMONLY being developed. I am not saying that the actions done by any party is right or wrong (well at least not yet anyway, and most probably not in this post). So lets just clear the air on that okay? Plus, we've elected the government of the day, so whatever they decide to do - even if its bad, is partially our fault, eh? Hahaha.

So now, back to my swamp story. What I AM trying to mention is that, given the topography and geomorphology of the area we were in at the time...it did not come as a surprise that not a single human soul would want to migrate and occupy this entire stretch of land! There's only swamp and crocodiles there! But fast forward to a year later when roads have been built, I am suddenly facing complaints from locals (who live either across river or many many kilometres away!) that their native rights over the land have been violated! What the hell?!

All the areas that they claim as locations where cash crops were planted from the time of their great, great, great grandparents have been taken over by greedy corporations and businessmen. They give allegations that they have lost their primary source of income and land for their future generation have been savagely taken. Future generations you say, every work worthy person in that kampung is working somewhere is town! Plus' there isn't a single mark left on the ground showing any human being had done any cultivation there for many many many many years, so what's up?

Knowing that, I somewhat felt sick, simply because not a single allegation was true! There were no paddy,  no rubber, no cocoa, no pepper no fruit trees and not even vegetables in that area when I walked in that darn swamp and how dare they claim all that when not a trace of what's being claimed was there?

And you know what's sad about this? When we do want to sit down nicely together and negotiate like the civilized men that we claim we are, they go to meetings after a drinking binge and bring their temper with them. How is anything going to go forward and how are we ever really going to solve this predicament? But nonetheless, deals were made and all's well that ends well. They get instant cash! Good for them.

However...along the new access road that leads to this development area, the locals who made these earlier claims started to peg each other's lots by the roadside. Brand new lots along the 'road that was built by evil corporation' is being divided among the penduduk kampung. Two years ago, they wouldn't set foot here and now they are subdividing the land among themselves and have built langkaus (bori toyak) to show that the land is theirs. These people couldn't get near those new lots without the road and now own brand new 4x4 vehicles so that they can start their own oil palm smallholding there. A few have even started to make land dealings, buy and sell the plots that have been laid out.

Picture this summary:

Now (using cars and not perahu anymore) they can go to town and send their kids to school easily with this new road...but they'd burn your house down a year ago if they heard a whisper that you were going to do anything there. And the land's not even theirs!

What sort of dumb melodrama is this?! I never understood it, still haven't understood it and will probably never will. 

I have always admired the Dayak's strong spirit as men who worked the earth but what I can't accept is the fact that they were lucky enough to get these new lands from the same corporation that they are condemning!

So now, don't think that I am being disrespectful to the indigenous people of Sarawak, namely all the Dayak races (I'm not going to point fingers to any particular one coz I think everyone's had their fair share of this type of drama). I myself am a Dayak, but please...what has happened in this scenario has changed my paradigm from being on your side, to subtly opposing you. Because we have brought it on ourselves if people think that we are all just opportunists, and scavengers who scour around for a quick buck and fight over leftovers. On a personal note, a lot of Dayak has left that impression on me and it all makes me think about the sad state of mind that we are all in.

It's ridiculous but an important food for thought to all my fellow Dayaks and readers.